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Kirklees is the latest local authority to stop using Kingdom. In July Flintshire County Council in North Wales terminated the firm’s contract.

It followed a strong backlash from the public over officers’ approach, which was considered heavy-handed.

Flintshire will stop using the company from the end of December.

People in cities including Bristol and Liverpool have also reported wrongly-issued fines, disputes over public and private land, and over-zealous staff.

Hailey Roebuck, who works at the Dogfather dog grooming salon in Almondbury, was fined by Kingdom litter patrol for having her own dog off a lead in Almondbury cemetery. Hayley is pictured with a customer's dog, Rio.

In the wake of the Flintshire decision, Kirklees’ move represents the latest stage in a domino effect.

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But it emerged that that Kingdom took 85% ( £63.75), leaving the council with just £11.25 from each ticket.

But the private litter patrollers have been accused of using a range of tactics to encourage people to pay up, such as pretending to phone the police.

An Examiner reader spotted a Kingdom staff member (on the left) handing out £75 litter fines outside Sainsbury's in March 2018

Examples of their behaviour were alleged to include operating on private property - such as in Sainsbury’s or in KFC - and targeting shoppers and customers.

A woman walking her dog in Fenay Bridge was fined £75 by Kingdom operatives for “anti-social behaviour” after letting her animal off the lead near a beck.

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Two other members of the public were also issued with fixed penalties in the same location. All three fines were later quashed.

October 2017 - Karen Wimpenny, manager of the Mind charity shop in Huddersfield, claimed a Kingdom litter enforcement officer falsely accused her of dropping a cigarette butt, leaving her embarrassed in front of customers.